


Fire and Brimstone

by sarcastic_oatmeal



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death, Depression, Homophobic Language, M/M, Psychological Torture, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2018-08-18 22:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8178097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcastic_oatmeal/pseuds/sarcastic_oatmeal
Summary: A bunch of soulmate AUs for Deamus.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The old clock counting down AU.

The light filtered in through the dorm windows. The room was empty, as empty as how Seamus felt. He had pushed the door open to see only his and Neville's trunks at the end of their beds. 3 of the beds were vacant, and the silence in the room was unbearable. 

Seamus sighed and begun unpacking his trunk. The feast tonight was a somber one, with the threat of destruction looming over the students. Seamus felt a pang of pain in his heart every time he thought of the Sorting Ceremony. The 1st years were afraid to go up to the Sorting Hat, scared they would be ripped out of line for being a Muggleborn. So many had already vanished, they had a right to be scared. The new Death Eaters installed among the professors certainly didn't help ease the fear at Hogwarts. 

It didn't help that today was Seamus's 17th birthday. Just a week ago, his dad had left him and his mum to go into hiding. It had been to help them blend in with the Wizarding world. Now three of his best mates was missing or gone. Harry had vanished, Seamus hoped, in the attempts to stop He-Who-Sha...Voldemort. Ron was sick with spattergroit, Ginny said, but it was obvious that he and Hermione were with Harry.

And Dean...Seamus's eyes filled with tears as he remembered the scrawled note he received from Dean after getting home at the end of 6th year. 

_Can't talk, won't be able to until this mess get's sorted out. Ministry thinks I'm a Muggle-born, they're on the hunt for me. Might try to torture me for Harry. Hid my mum in America with my aunt. Be safe. **Love, Dean**_

His 17th birthday had never been more stressful, Seamus thought as he chucked his books onto his bed. Voldemort in power, Death Eaters at Hogwarts, his best mate and crush on the run, and this stupid soulmate thing. His clock had appeared on his wrist. The time counting down until he met his soulmate. Seamus wasn't that interested in finding his soulmate, especially on the brink of war. The nasty thought of not having Dean for a soulmate popped back into his head, but he pushed it away as he put up his socks. There had to be a chance, he thought as he watched the clock slowly count down. 7 months, 30 days, 18 hours, 5 minutes, and 4 seconds to go.

******************************************************************************************************************************************

_"Crucio!"_ a sinister voice screamed from the shadows. Seamus felt searing pain rush through his body, the worst thing he's ever felt. it was so unbearable, his mouth opened to scream, yet nothing came out of it. His body convulsed against the bonds, the chair he was tied to shook with the tremors he felt. 

As the pain subsided, Seamus felt the urge to break. He could just end this now, give them the locations of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The pain could end, he could be let free, rewarded even. The thought was tempting, so tempting that he opened his mouth to recant. But the thought of Dean being tortured and killed gave him the resolve, and Seamus locked his jaw in place. He'd never betray Dean. The moldy and damp chamber would kill him first.

"Oh, is the little wittle puff not gonna betray his puff boyfriend? Don't worry you little pooter, we'll get it out of you yet." screeched the high pitched voice of Amycus Carrow. He emerged from the shadows, wand pointed at Seamus's flushed face. "You know, if you're wondering if McGonagall is going to save you, you can believe she isn't. She's mighty busy, I hear my sister had a bunch of first years terrified.." Amycus hissed, spittle flying onto the Gryffindor's face. "I'm actually quite surprised you've managed this long, that dumb-ass Neville passed out long before this." 

Seamus strained against the bonds holding him to the chair. The homophobic insults were one thing, but making fun of Neville was another. The boy was the leader of the rebels at Hogwarts. To call him a dumb-ass was worse than calling Seamus a puff. Sweat began forming on Seamus's brow as he continued to struggle. 

"You know, I could just hold you in here forever. I could just torture you until you break. Or die. Wonder what your dear soulmate would think if there clock stopped working." Amycus menacingly sneered at the boy and began slithering around the chair. "I mean, who would look for a Gryffindor in the Chamber of Secrets? Especially whenever the one boy to open it is nowhere to be found. I could just let you rot..." Amycus trailed off. "Or you could be rewarded, my boy. The Dark Lord will find a convented place amongst his ranks for the one who turns over Harry Potter. Think of the power." Amycus said as he neared Seamus's face. "You could even save your dear queer boyfriend.."

Seamus was enraged at the idea that Amycus thought he would want to join the Death Eaters, just to save Dean. The thought had occurred to him during the wee hours of the night when Neville had fallen asleep amidst his sobs. But he always pushed it down with the memories of him and Dean. 

Seamus leaned in, pretending to be listening to Amycus's offers, and spit in the man's face. "You're a right ole bastard if ya think I'd go over to Voldemort's side. Your head must be stuck right up your arse, ya bloody cunt." Seamus yelled defiantly.

Amycus calmly wiped the spit off his face and straightened up. He slowly pointed the wand towards Seamus's face, and whispered "You should not have done that."

Seamus's screams bounced off the high marble walls of the Chamber of Secrets. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Seamus dashed through the halls, his heart pounding and his breath being torn from his lungs. He heard the yells of the Carrows behind him, the screams of the students as they scampered out of their way, the crash of armor as the curses whizzed narrowly past his ear.  
He had managed to escape the Chamber of Secrets, after days of torture and abuse. It was a long a painful process, and Seamus was black and blue whenever he emerged from the sink. Sneaking down to the kitchen was easy than he thought. He had run into the obnoxious Peeves, and he was sure he was dead. However, Peeves set him onto a route to the kitchen where he would not run into Snape or the Carrows. weird sure, but Peeves hated the Carrows, he hated seeing Hogwarts be torn apart. 

Seamus was determined to escpae this prison of a school. After grabbing food from the house-elves, he sneaked his way into the Gryffindor tower.He was gathering all of his things into his knapsack when Neville had entered the dorm. 

"Seamus? Seamus, you're alive?" Neville said as he stood in the doorway. After wincing at the look of the brusies and cuts on Seamus's face, Neville ran over and engulfed him into a hug. "Well, you've looked better. Everyone was so worried, especially your mum. She came up here a couple nights ago, almost killed the Carrows."

Seamus was glad for Neville, glad that he still had a friend at Hogwarts. But he had to escape soon, he thought, as he shrugged Neville off of him. "Look, Neville, I'm fixin to disappear for a while. I need ya to get a message out to me mum, she'll go into hiding. Need her to be safe, they can't torture her like they did me." Seamus said rapidly, noticing Neville's eyes widen at the mention of torture. "Not that big a deal. Just make sure me mum and everyone in Gryffindor tower is safe." Seamus grabbed his knapscak, slung it over his shoulders, and turned his back on Neville.

Neville gripped Seamus's shoulders, stopping him from walking out. "Look, before you go, there's something I need to tell you. There's a safe room in Hogwarts, called the Room of Requirement. Hermione told me about it last year, guess she figured she wouldn't be coming back. It's on the seventh floor, across form the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. It may look like a blank wall, but you just gotta think real hard on what you need. The house-elves will bring you up food and drink. Head there if you run into the Carrows."

It was these words that resonated within Seamus's head as he ducked all the hexes. Climbing up the stairs three at a time, Seamus pulled his wand out from his sleeve. when he reached the top of the stairs, Seamus screamed _"Reducto!"_ The stairs gave way to a pile of rubble, and the Carrows were forced to stop chasing Seamus. His victory was short-lived, however, as the siblings started screaming curses up towards him. 

Seamus turned and began running towards the tapestry. The screams faded as he arrived at the tapestry. Turning towards the blank wall, Seamus begun frantically thinking of everything he needed. _"I need a room to hide in. I need to hide from the Carrows. I need to be safe. I need..."_ A door appeared in the midst of Seamus's musing. Throwing it open, Seamus was confronted with a small room, equipped with a hammock, desk and a bathroom. A fire was blazing in the fireplace, washing the room with a warm, amber glow. He dropped his knapsack on the ground and walked over to the bed. Seamus fell onto it with a groan, his eyes catching a glance of his wrist as it fell past his head. 4 months, 23 hours, 30 minutes, 2 seconds and counting until he met his soulmate. Seamus chuffed at the thought, and turned to stare into the memorizing fire. 

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Harry was alive, Harry was alive. Seamus was so glad. He couldn't go and hug him, as he had recently been roughed up after going to get food for the team. But Harry was alive, there was a chance they could win. Seamus's eyes took in the sight of his friends, a bit banged up but still brimming with fight. He drank in their confidence, their appearance themselves was enough to make his bones feel less weary. Seamus's eyes dropped down to his wrists as Harry and Neville began arguing over something. He only had 10 seconds.

10...  
"Why can't you tell us? It's something to do with fighting You-Know-Who, right?"  
"Well, yeah-"  
9...  
"Then we'll help you."  
"You don't understand..."  
8...  
"We're his army. Dumbledore's army. We're all in this together..."  
7...  
"It hasn't exactly been a picnic, mate." Ron muttered.  
6...  
"I never said it was, but I don't see why you can't trust us..."  
5...  
The tunnel door had just opened again.  
4...  
"We got your message, Neville!..."  
3...  
Luna crawled out of the hole, it wasn't her. Seamus still had 3 seconds left.  
2...  
Seamus started suddenly. Wait, we?  
1..  
0...  
As the clock reached zero, Seamus stared into the dark passageway. A hand emerged, grasping onto the doorway. The hand was then followed by Dean Thomas, his best mate.  
_Dean is my soulmate? Dean is my soulmate!_ Seamus thought, relief flooding over him. He jumped up from his seat on the floor, and ran to engulf Dean in a hug. 

"Hey, Seamus! You look like shit." Dean said as he returned the hug.  
"Oi, shut up for a second." Seamus muttered as he grabbed Dean's wrist. He was so nervous, his fingers were shaking as he flipped it over. 0hr, 0min, 0sec. "Was it Luna?" Seamus whispered, his voice wavering. The thought of Dean not being his soulmate hurt.

"No." Dean whispered. "It was you." Seamus looked into Dean's eyes, and saw the truth reflected in them. 

"Hey, Seamus, Dean. Let's get going, we got a castle to protect!" Lavender shouted, as she ran out the door. The two men looked at each other, grabbed each others hands and headed towards the battle.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************

Seamus was covered in soot and burns as he ran toward the castle. He had set off many explosions, effectively isolating the castle from anymore Death Eaters. Voldemort had given them an hour, a hour to recover and mourn their dead. Seamus could only see blurs as he ran through the doors, and then everything went in slow motion. 

Fred was dead. George and Percy were crying over his body. Ron was holding Hermione as his tears fell. Seamus turned, there was Lavender in a crumpled heap. Her girlfriend Parvati crying, screaming for Voldemort's head, and cursing in Hindi. Colin Creevey, the annoying brat in 6th year, had died as well. His brother was silent, a disconcerting scene in the room of mourning. Harry was looking at Professor Lupin and a woman's body, their wrist turned upwards as they held hands in death. The 0hr, 0min,0sec was burned into their wrists, a sign that each other's soulmate had died.

Seamus quickly looked down at his wrist. If the numbers had burned into his wrist while he was setting fires, he would not have felt it. A sigh of relief was realesed as the black zeroes stared back at him. Thank heaven. 

"Seamus" called a voice from behind him, a voice of love and comfort. Seamus turned to see Dean running towards him, a smile on his face. "I thought you were dead!" Dean yelled as he came closer.

"Gonna take a lot more than a bunch'o bug..." Seamus stopped talking abruptly, he was too wrapped up in the fact that Dean Thomas was kissing him. The blur of motion had stopped before he started talking, grabbed him by the arms and lifted him up. Too elated for words, Dean just shoved his lips onto the Irish man's, silencing his babble. Seamus couldn't think clearly, he couldn't feel anything, he couldn't mourn. Dean was here, Dean was kissing him, it was the only thing important. He wanted to scream out "Let us have more than an hour, let us have a day, a month, a year!" Seamus broke the kiss to the sounds of cheers and finally's and tears. They were all so happy to have a sliver of hope in such a depressing time. 

"I love you, have fer all of the time I met ya." Seamus whispered, resting his head on Dean's chest.  
"I love you too, let's go somewhere more quiet." Dean whispered back, grabbing Seamus's hand and pulling him away from the war.

The only thing that Seamus could think was _If we survive this bloody war, I'm gonna marry this bloody wanker._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the AU where you only see in black and white until you meet your soulmate.

Dean was quite tired of seeing the world in black and white. He was an artist, and he was never sure if these colours worked because he couldn't see them. Many couples who had found their soulmates always paid good money to see his art, in fact he was one of the best known artist across the United Kingdom. 

But it wasn't enough, it wasn't enough to just do. Dean wanted to feel his art, he wanted to put his heart and soul into his art. He had recently been unable to paint anything, his frustration getting the better of him most days. Most days his canvas was thrown on the floor, the paints he paid for splattered against the tile floor of his studio. Most days Dean ended up with his head in his hands and hot, angry tears slid down his face.

After a particularly gruesome week of anger and destruction, Dean looked on the internet for support. Many websites just held descriptions of the colours, pretentious descriptions like _green is the smell of dandelions, or brown is the taste of dark chocolate._ Words that just infuriated Dean more, words that made him long his soulmate.

After months of scouring the Internet for any support, after reaching out to anyone who would listen to him, Dean found him. A pyrotechnic engineer who was using his talents to create dazzling firework displays. A man who also had yet to find his soulmate.

_Hey mate, heard about your struggles. Have had a hard time dealing with that problem myself. However I've been getting through it by throwing myself harder into me work. Dunno if this helps. Contact me through this email, maybe we can talk about it.  
-Seamus_

Dean drank in the words, thirsty for the flood of thoughts this mysterious man brought. Perhaps Seamus was right, perhaps he just needed to try harder. Dean went to bed that night hopeful and content.

However after another trying day of attempting to create a sunrise for a married couple, Dean was beginning to have bitter thoughts about his “mate.” Sitting down at his desk, he furiously began writing a response.

_How in the hell can you be content with blundering through life without witnessing colours. Colours are supposed to bring beauty in our lives, bring peace and yet you just continue on your life without wishing for more. You must be one shoddy pyrotechnician then, if the combination of colours does not excite you more about you choice of work. Bet you're one of those “colour seer” arses as well._

It wasn't long before Dean heard a slight ping and his computer light up.

_Oi, ya bastard, I was just trying to help ya. However you can stick my advice up ya arse, it'll keep your head company if all you can do is dream about finding your soulmate instead of getting ya shit done. Sorry to bother ya, ya Majesty.  
-Seamus_

Dean read and reread the email, cursing the writer. “Is it so much to want more out of life?” he mumbled. Pushing away from his desk, Dean stretched his legs and headed off towards his kitchen. Dean was contently preparing himself a mug of hot cocoa. It was quite a surprise when a second ping was heard coming from the other room. It was such a shock that Dean nearly dropped his mug.

Muttering about the annoyance of others, he pattered back to his desk and clicked in the glowing icon to read the newest email.

_Why do you care anyways._

Dean sat down in his desk chair. Why did he care? Dean thought of all the happiness that his art seemed to cause, thought of the happiness emitting from the couples. Dean thought of the months spent searching for his soulmate, searching for that happiness.

_You ever wanted more from life than just daily mundane routines? It's a bit like that….._

***************************************************************************************************************************************

Dean rubbed his eyes for the fifth time in under a minute. It was late, really late. The clock said 5:17, and he could feel it in his back. He spent 7 hours emailing with a man who seemed as compromising as a brick wall. It seemed Seamus was dead set in his ways, almost like he never wanted to find his soulmate. What was the line in his last email?

_What if I find out that my displays are aren't good enough? Why worry about that if I'm never gonna have the ability to see colours…_

It was an interesting view, and it made Dean think. What if he hated all of his paintings, hated his life's work? He shook his head softly, no it wouldn't deter him.

The soft pitter patter of the keyboard filled his ears as he typed out his last email for the night.

_Obviously this is a way more intimate conversation than can be held over email. Let's grab coffee sometime and discuss this. I live in London…._

*************************************************************************************************************************************

Fog filled the road, a dismal haze covering everything. Dean hiked up his collar, and drew his coat closer to him. “Damn this English weather.” he muttered to himself as he headed in the direction of his favorite cafe. Fog made having black and white sight worse, making everything a general gray.

It had took three months s to arrange a meeting spot between him and Seamus. Seamus lived in Ireland, causing many problems to find a good place to meet. Dean was very firmly against going into any pub, as he had a sneaking suspicion that Seamus could not handle his liquor.

There was also the fact that neither felt ready to meet each other right away. Dean was more open to the idea, but Seamus always put him off. However, after sharing almost everything about each other in late night emails, Dean knew it was time. 

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Dean swung open the door to the small coffee shop. The sound of soft guitar and the smell of coffee overwhelmed his senses. Stepping into the building, Dean felt a sense of unexpected nervousness. Why was he nervous? It was just a meeting between acquaintances.

Dean walked up to the counter and tried to calmly order a coffee. He heard his voice shake and had to clench his fists to stop them from shaking. “Whoa, chill out.” Dean mumbled to himself after thanking the worker for his drink.

Turning towards the boothes in search of an isolated seat, Dean only caught a glimpse of a figure before he crashed into it. “Holy shit, watch where you're going!” Dean yelled as his coffee soiled both his and the stranger’s coat. Dean wiped his hands in his pants and looked up to see who dared to run into him.

“Whoa…” Dean whispered as his sight filled with all sorts of wonderful….colors. Blues and greens and browns filled his eyes, causing them to flood with tears. This was the best thing to ever happen to him.

“...I’m so sorry mate, I didn't see ya.” The stranger frantically rubbed napkins into Dean’s coat, never looking up. “Just wanted to meet this dude I've been emailing…” the man mumbled as he attempted to lift the stains.

“Seamus?” Dean whispered.  
“Aye? How do you know my…” The stranger finally looked up, and stopped mid-sentence. “Holy hell.” 

“Do you see them?” Dean looked down at the man, watching as he drank in all the new experiences.  
“The colours? Yeah.” Seamus breathed. 

“Wait, how do you know my name?” Seamus finally looked back up at Dean, befuddlement evident in his face. “I've never met you.”

Dean swallowed and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “I'm that acquaintance you came to meet, welcome to London.”

Dean watched as Seamus’s face lit up. “One hell of a welcoming, aye?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> have some angsty AU

It happened when he was playing.

Dean was nine. He was focused on playing soccer with the boys down the street, on the science project he was making with his mom, on the fact that his dad had been missing for two months. He was focused on bigger things than trivial matters such as soulmates, something the girls in his class whispered about during recess. 

Dean had been practicing his soccer drills, dusk steadily creeping in, in the tiny strip of land his mother claimed as their backyard. He was just about to make a stupendous goal between his neighbor's bins when he felt it.

A swift burn rose through his body from his stomach. Dean's vision swam, he saw two, no three balls in front of him. He was losing his balance, tripping over his feet and nearly falling into the bins. He felt as if his breath had fled him. His entire body was on fire, his eyes were watering at the overwhelming pain of it all. And he didn't like it.

"Momma, momma!" Dean screamed as he tried to make his way back into the small apartment. He had never felt that much hurt. "Momma!" Dean screamed towards the house, desperate for his mom to fix it, to make the pain go away, to fix him.

"What is it, Dean?" His mother rushed out of the house. The soft amber light of the sunset fell on her face, revealing the wrinkles and frowns of a worried face. Wiping her hands on her cardigan, she ran over to Dean. "What is it, what is it? How bad do you hurt?"

Dean could barely open his mouth, he couldn't make out his mother in front of him. Panic rose in waves, he couldn't see anything. He shakily raised a hand, his muscles, bones protesting, and held out a number eight. Tears slid his face, threatening to drown him. 

"Momma, why do I hurt so bad?" He cried out, voice trembling. Why wasn't it stopping, why wasn't his mother fixing everything?

"Sh, sh, sh, my boy. You'll be okay." His mother whispered in his ear, enveloping Dean in a hug. Slowly rocking him back and forth, she began to sing.

_"Say say oh playmate, come out and play with me. Bring out your dollies three; climb up my apple tree. Slide down my rainbow into my cellar door and we'll be jolly friends forevermore."_

She softly sang this over and over until Dean had stopped crying. His vision had returned back to normal. His muscles had relaxed. He could breathe again. He relaxed into his mother, the warmth of her body and her singing lulling him to sleep. He faintly remembers his mother picking him up and taking him to his bed, where she watched over him for the rest of the night.

****************************  
He was in class when it happened again.

Dean was eleven. After the incident, his mother explained to him how the world works. How soulmates can feel each other's pain. How his father was never really missing, he had died three days after he left. He was told the why of the world. Why he should cherish the connection between him and his soulmate. Why his mother spent a week locked away in her room, screaming silently so her boy never worried. Why his mother never told him before that.

Hogwarts was new, though. it was full of nonsensical magic, of creatures of imaginative proportions, of flying and potions and feasts. Hogwarts was a new chance to make friends. With the redheaded boy who ate like a troll, but pushed second helpings onto Dean's plate daily. With the black haired boy who gave Dean the kindest of looks and offered to sleep on the floor when there are not enough beds in their dorm. With the boy with the toad who offered to give Dean a succulent because Dean didn't have anything to decorate his dresser with.

And with the sandy haired boy that smiled at Dean on the train ride. He smiled, and Dean felt as if he came home. The boy laughed and Dean could feel the fireworks exploding in his stomach. Dean had had plenty of crushes back home, but this one was different. This one...this one just felt right. 

It started slow. He was finishing up his Transfiguration notes, jotting down everything that he could read from his book; and ignoring Professor Flitwick, who was rambling on about a levitation spell. He could feel a warmth that had not been there before. He simply brushed it off, blaming the fire he was sitting next too.

Suddenly, a large burst of pain shot across Dean's face. He shouted in surprise as his face caught on fire, the pain spreading to each nerve. He could feel the charring of his muscles, the explosions of pain lining his face. The pain was quick, intense, a firecracker in a dark night.

Then as suddenly as it came, it disappeared. Dean was left with a numbness and the stares of his classmates. He could hear the whispers starting but shortly realized they were directed at the sandy-haired boy. He had caused an explosion whenever he was trying to levitate his feather.

Later, after class, he went into the bathroom and peered into the mirror. No visible damage, just the weird feeling of not being able to feel anything on his face. This soulmate thing was becoming a pain in the arse, that's for sure. 

Dean looked up to the sound of a door swinging open, and there was the sandy-haired boy, Seamus, face black with ash from the explosion. He looked stunned. Dean felt the need to leave and was halfway out the door when Seamus broke out of his daze.

"Hey, Dean! Are you any good at Charms?"  
****************************

The next time it happened, he barely noticed it. 

Dean was rushing, trying to get his clothes on in time. He had woken up later than he expected to, ignoring Seamus's attempts to get him up. He was having a wonderful dream, he had finally found a place where he felt whole; and his dad was there, reunited with his mom. All of his friends

The glaring sunshine had ripped him out of that fantasy, a reminder of how late he was. He would barely be able to make it down to the Great Hall for breakfast. He was scrambling around the dorm, grabbing all of his textbooks and shoving them into his satchel. Dean was throwing on his socks, his foot halfway through the second sock, when he felt it. A second explosion rippled across his face. This one wasn't as intense as the one in Charms, but Dean could still feel the heat of the fire. The pain was brief. Dean shook his head and continued to throw on his clothes.

Dean found the entire soulmate experience aggravating and yet, in a sense, it was comforting.

Later, Neville was delighted to recount Seamus's mistake that had happened over breakfast. 

"Listen, Dean, he was saying the incantation correctly and everything. Perhaps it was his wand movements. Seamus had singed eyebrows and light burns all over his face. McGonagall sent him to the Hospital Wing, and I didn't see him after that. I swear it made no sense, the cup shouldn't have exploded! "  
***************************

The next time it happened, it hadn't.

Dean was fifteen and wiser. He had learned to expect the occasional sensation of fire creeping up his arms, learned to expect the explosions that set his face ablaze at least three times a week. It had occurred more and more rarely as the years continued. He jokingly called it "his fiery friend" to his friends, and always exclaimed how glad he was that it was gone.

But he wasn't, he missed the small bursts of pain, the connection to his soulmate. So when he began experiencing pain again, he was almost relieved. 

But the new pain befuddled him. It had started at the end of fifth year. It started whenever Umbridge was chased out of the castle by Peeves, whenever Ginny had wrapped herself around Dean and kissed him. The kiss was a passionate one, full of fire and energy. The only thing he could think of was that it was Ginny, not Seamus, kissing him this time. And he found it astonishing. 

The pain, the pain was terrible. Dean couldn't ignore it, couldn't focus on Ginny no matter how hard he tried. He broke the kiss, gasping as he held his chest. His insides felt as if they were being ripped out of his body. A pounding began in his head. He could feel his heart shatter. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at Ginny. 

Ginny was fine.

Dean's eyes filled with tears as he realized his soulmate was not her. He cried out in pain and fell to the floor of the corridor. The last thing he saw was a sandy-haired boy running away.

The pain had stayed with him. It had stayed with him through the summer, dulled yet still prevalent. It redoubled on the first day of the term when he should have been ecstatic to see his lovely girlfriend. It stayed with him until May, when Ginny had dumped him.

"What are you saying?" Dean had whispered at Ginny's back, tears threatening to fall.

"We're just not right for each other, Dean. It's been known since the start, we aren't each other soulmate's." Ginny retorted, the edge in her voice slicing through Dean.

The pain had eased him through the first few days after the breakup because he wasn't the only one in pain. It had given him the courage to finally tell Seamus, who had been sullen for the better part of the year, that the relationship had ended.

"Seamus, Ginny dumped me," Dean mumbled in the quiet library, his voice brimming with bitterness.

"Oh," Seamus said. And that was the end of that conversation.

However, Dean didn't fail to notice the weight lifting off of his chest. The dull stabs stopped. The pounding headaches ceased. 

He felt relieved.  
*******************************

The last time it happened, it was over.

Dean was nineteen. It was one year after the Battle of Hogwarts. It was one year after Seamus had finally, finally confessed his love for Dean. It was one year after they had figured out that they were each other's torturer. Soulmate had a nice ring to it, especially if you could wrap your hands around him. It had always been him, Dean had always felt him, his pain. Ever since Seamus fell out of a tree when he was eight.

It was time to tell the world. Dean had sent Seamus off with a list of irrelevant chores, trying to keep him away from their small flat. London was bustling, and Dean was sure that the city would keep Seamus busy enough.

Dean had cleared the apartment of rubbish. He had set out their special plates atop a lace table and lined the floor with rose petals. He lighted candles and had them levitating along the walls. It was the classic cheesy romance proposal, everything that Seamus told him that he wanted one night when they were drunk.

He was placing the ring box on the table when he felt it.

The pain was worse than anything he ever felt, worse than when Seamus had fallen out of a tree and caused him pain. The sudden absence of breath left him dizzy, and then suddenly his body ached. He felt like every bone was breaking, every organ bruising, every nerve screaming in agony. He could only see darkness, could hear ringing in his ears. He grasped the counter as he looked around their apartment, desperate for a phone. 

And then it was over.

Dean could walk. He could see. He could breathe again. But then his own pain caught up to him, and tears cascaded down his face. Seamus was hurt. Not a simple burn like Dean felt every day, but a tidal wave of pain. If Dean could barely keep his head above the waves, then Seamus was drowning.

"Pick up, pick up, you bloody git," Dean sobbed into his phone. In the silence he could hear a faint ringing coming from the house. "Damn it Seamus!" he yelled as he threw his phone across the room.

He was shoving a coat on when he heard it. The flat's doorbell rang out, piercing the silence.

Dean threw the door open, hoping for Seamus, and came face to face with a police officer.

"Mr. Thomas? I have some bad news. Your boyfriend... I'm sorry."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really sorry I've been missing. School, stress, work, all kinds of mess.
> 
> Anyways, this is the AU where if you get hurt, your soulmate feels it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your Soulmate's first words to you are tattoed onto your arm.

Ever since Dean was old enough to read, he was always fascinated by the words on his left wrist. Some days it brought a smile to his face when nothing else did, especially after a particular rough football game with the neighborhood boys, or when his latest artwork didn't go exactly to plan.

Such weird first words could only mean that his soulmate was, at the very least, an intriguing person.

It was after Dean learned about magic that he started looking at the words with a tad bit of apprehension. An entirely new world, with limitless opportunities. If wizards and witches are real, so were dragons, mermaids, gnomes, and all the creatures his Nan told him when he was younger. What if his soulmate was a vampire, or something weirder still.

His older sister often teased him that his soulmate was a centaur and that he would be the dad of tiny centaur babies. 

As he was getting out of his compartment on the train, Dean was nervous, his hands shaking as he lifted his trunk down. However, he glanced down at his wrist and took a deep breath. Anything could be possible, and maybe he found his soulmate here at Hogwarts.

"I'm half and half." The words imprinted on his skin brushed against the sleeve of his robe.

Centaur be damned.

*****

Seamus was always sort of disappointed by the words that graced his right wrist. Growing up, he was fascinated by the words that graced his cousins' wrists. Phrases such as "Pass the dragon egg before the mom comes back," "Get the fuck off me, you wanker," and "Never curse in a duel first move," graced his mom's side. Even on his dad's side, where there wasn't a sliver of magic coursing through their veins, even their words were cool.

The words that inked Seamus's pale freckled wrist seemed dull in comparison. He would often cover his wrist whenever his cousins were over, for fear of being teased mercilessly.

However, as Seamus was bubbling with energy, bouncing up and down on the seats (in annoyance to the kids riding with him), his eyes glazed over the words emblazoned on his wrists.

Maybe in a place like Hogwarts, even the most mundane phrases could surprise someone.

"Excuse me, do you mind passing the bread?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First note, I have no idea wha Dean's first words were to Seamus. I tried my hardest to find his first words but nothing was popping up.
> 
> I AM SO SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING! I swear I'm not dead, I just had a fuckton of things that came before writing. I'm now a senior in high school, and reading my past writing is sooo cringey. However, if you're still here, I applaud you for sticking around after a year and a half of radio silence, and cringey ass writing. And hey, I've started writing a RP1 Sherlock AU and an original story so maybe stick around for those too.
> 
> ALSO, I'd love to hear your AUS you want in this work. Comment down below!


End file.
